Expansible cleaning brush for hotair furnace radiators or the like



Jan. 8, 1952 w. N. HADLEY EXPANSIBLE CLEANING BRUSH FOR HOT-AIR FURNACE RADIATORS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1946 Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATEST PATENT OFFICE EXPANSIBLE CLEANING BRUSH FOR HOT- AI R FURNACE RADIATORS OR THE LIKE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaners, pa'rticularly for the radiators of hot-air furnaces or for tubes and channels which are apt to have accumulations of material therein or to become stopped up and especially where the entrance openingthereto is smaller than the inside of the' tubes or channels. Because of the inconvenience of doing the work and the dirt and grime attendant upon the same, it is customary to clean such radiators but once a year, and that most often by some outside service company making a business of that kind of work. This is usually done in the summer season. But the efficiency of the furnace is greatly reduced by such occasional cleaning.

The soot and fly ash accumulations cling to the surface of the radiators, through the walls of which the heat must pass if it is to do its intended work, and in thicker and thicker layers from day to day. Such material is a heat insulator and the eificiency of the radiator is greatly reduced thereby. Moreover, such deposits are greater when the furnaces are but lightly fired, as in the milder weather of fall and early winter, because the combustion of the fuel is not so. complete, so that .when winter comes and the full or greatest Gfll'.

still less perfect combustion, the deposit of more material and a greater loss of efliciency and the production of useful heat.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple tool for the convenient and effective cleaning of such radiators without attendant grime and dirt to person and clothing, so that the householder may do the work without discomfort. If the pipe, as is common, is erected with a T joint .with a removable cover insteadof an elbow on the cast extension smoke outlet, then the radiator,

may be cleaned without putting out the fire in the furnace and allowing it to cool down entirely, and therefore may be done often enough in the heating season to keep the radiators in their most efiicient heat-radiating condition, thereby saving. in fuel, keeping the furnace in its best condition at all times, including when it is most needed, as

in the colder weather, and maintaining the proper draft conditions at all times.

In carrying out the invention, the tool is pro-,

vided with an operating stem or shaft or handle of sufficient length and resiliency tobe passed into and through the curved passages of the radiator to be cleaned and out at the opposite and resiliently mounted thereon whereby the same may be folded together about the stem for insertion into the radiator and then be expanded to engage the inside walls thereof to scrape and sweep their more or less rough and irregular surfaces to remove therefrom the soot and fiy ash clinging thereto, and to push the same out at the opposite side where it may be caught in a pail or suitable receptacle. The stem is provided with means at its forward end to curve and steer it through the exit channel. By repeating the operation for the other side passage of the usual radiator, the radiator can be thoroughly cleaned in a few minutes. When done, the tool may be shaken free of the material and collapsed and put aside until the next time the radiator is to be cleaned.

The device is preferably made in three sections. The middle section may be used to clean. the horizontal smoke pipe if it is erected with a T joint and removable cover instead of an elbow. Thus both radiator and pipe may be cleaned while the fire is low, in a few minutes. The heat above need not drop but a few degrees during the cleaning.

Other features, advantages and objects will appear from the description and claims to follow, in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention, and in which- Fig. 1 is a side view of the tool more or less in perspective omitting the extensions of the handle; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, looking in the direction of the arrows on the line 2-- 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view at reduced scale of the complete tool with handle extensions;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the first extension of the handle;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the second and end extension of the handle;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 of the detachable connection between extensions; I

Fig. 7 shows in diagram the tool being used in cleaning the radiator of a furnace;

Fig. 8 is a perspective detail of the stem coupling; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of the bottom brush frame.

As shown, a stem, shaft or handle Ill, which may be of twisted spring wire, giving it stiffness and some resilience and flexibility, is provided with a plurality of brush-carrying radiating arms or ribs I l which may also be of spring wire, single side. The stem carriessuitable brushes expansibly strand, or otherwise, connected at their forward '3 inner ends to the stem it in such manner as to permit them to be swung and expanded outwardly from the stem or to be collapsed, drawn or folded this ring I2, at suitably spaced intervals,.or connected therewith in any desired manner so fas to pivot or hinge thereon in their expanding'and'collapsing movements and maintain "their spaced relation on the ring. The outer ends of these ribs are bent laterally at appropriateangles an'dcarry suitable brushes Hi to sweep the inside surfaces at the top and sides of the radiator passage to be cleaned.

The passages through the radiators i furnaces are usually not exactly circular in cross-section except possibly at the entrance and exit, but may be somewhat elliptical, with the longer axis vertical or with substantially straight vertical sides and rounded ends. Moreover, the surfaces are apt to be more or less uneven. The brushes I4, when expanded and in use, are intended substantially to overlap circumferentially and reach and sweep all such surfaces in a single forward pass of the device there through, though if'desired, it may be pushed and pulled back and forth. The r'esilienoy or the ribs and of "the structure as'a "whole enables this to be done, that is, the brushes to reach all surfaces. Since the brushes tli'u's cover the entire periphery of the sides and top of the passage whenyiewed in cross-section, a'nyi'nter fe'ren'ce end'wisabn'e with another, when they are collapsed "or fo'ldedf'up or in working positions, is guarded against by making some of 'the'iribs I'I slightly longer and some shorter as indicated in Fig. ljor otherwise. This permits'the brushes'to'reach'and'cover the inside su'riace'of the passageandtopass and overlap 'eachother when so collapsed.

These arrnsor ribs H fare'operated by stays, braces or rods 1'5 preferably of relatively 'heavy single-strand stiff spring wire like theribs H, having their outer ends hooked or looped into other loops "it formed in or attached to the ribs H "and their inner ends looped around or otherwise attached to a small twisted wire or other ring 11 surrounding and movable along the stem Hi. This ring I! is manually moved along thestem l9 when desired, as by a twisted wire or other rod l8 which 'is rigidly enough connected thereto to push and pull the "same along the stem to expand and contract the brushes and to hold them in "their expanded working positions while maintaining the substantial perpendicularityof-the plane ofthe-ring to the stem. In fact, as indicated, the ring ll may be the prolonged end of rod 18 bent laterally to form-the'ring around the stem -'l'fl, the ends of the-wires being "suitably'-'inte'rlaced with the rod and ring to form a 'complete rin-g at the end of the rod.

The brushing along the bottom surfaceof the radiator passage is preferably-accomplished by the horizontal or bottom brush l9 which is carried between wire end bracing frames 2% formed preferably of a single-pieceof'wire bent,

which are connected together at the top bythe member 2] which is pivotally attached in any desired manner to the stem 16. The lower rear corners of these end frames and the ends of brush [9 extending between them are connected by stays with ring ll, so as to be swung into working position and withdrawn therefrom, the same as the ribs II and brushes E i.

The material brushed from the top and sides of the passage falls to the bottom and the bottom brush l9 is'the'refore preferably slightly in the rear of the brushes M. It not only serves to clean the bottom surface but to push this added material along ahead of it to the exit. Besides,

the layer'o'f' material is apt to be thicker at the bottom than along the sides and top, and if, as sometimes occurs, scale forms, it is most likely to be at the bottom. Thisframe, consisting of the members 20 and 2|, also centers or'tends'to center the cleaner in its travel through the radiator passage and carries the weight and downward thrust thereof in excess oi that carried by the adjacent side brushes.

Opposed guidingo'r steering members 25 project horizontally on either side of stem It in advance of the ring -12 to which 'the ribs l l =of the brushes are connectedand maybe iormed by loops in the wires of the stem or be otherwise formed and attached to the stem. The action offthese loops in approaching the exit oi the radiator passage will be described presently.

The forward end of the stem H1 preferably terminates in a bulb-like cluster of crossed loops 21, three in this instance, Which al'so may be formed of the stem wires and toge'thermake a rounded enlarged tor-Ward end of the stem for guiding and pulling 'purp'oses as hereinafter "ex- 'plained.

The complete handle or stem of the device, which may be several feet in length, is ipreferably made sectional "for iconvenience in handling, 'storage, sldippin'g, etc. These sections, which'may be designated, respectively, as :A, B, and C, Fig. 3,'must be connected by couplings which are dependable in use, are readily connected' and disconnected-which make thesections act as "one flexible member in the use of :the de'vi'ce (see Fig. 7) and be inexpensive.

In order to-accomplish this, preferably, the

k m'eeting ends of the sections of 'the stem wires are bent back and forth into a :half or partial helical coil formed as indicated at 30 and ill in Fig. 8, the main difference between'the two being that in 'the loweror outer coil :39, one or'more of the strands extend. like chords across the circle as at '32, instead of following 2 around the-ring. The two coils are "coupled by pressing the upp-er semi-coil 31 down into the lower coil '30, the locking abars32 .ipassing up between adjacent coils in the coil :3 i and the wires of the 'two coils 'snugly nesting together as indicated in Figs..1 and 6,, so :as-rto form a strong, axially rigid, inextensibleand yet laterally resilient coupling between thesections-of the'stem. Toinsure againstany possibilityof the undesired lateral separation of these two half coils, a lockin'g pin 3B,'-'which may be arrelongated wire loop secured .to a ring 31,.preferably of 'the same material and integral therewith :and which is slidable on the stem III, is slid in'to the nested boils-and under the locking-strands 32. "Tnisefiectually prevents the possibility of the nested coils separating or-getting out'of place with respect to *each other.

as indicated in Fig. '9, tofor'm these end frames H gether.

' folded tool inserted.

Other forms of couplings may The end of rod I8 for expanding and folding up the brushes is provided with a few turns of Y partial coils 40 like the longer coils 30' and 3!,

which when the arms or ribs carrying the brushes 'are expanded sufficiently may be similarly pressed laterally into the nested coils 30 and Si forming the coupling of sections A and B of the stem, and thereby hold said ribs and the brushes in their adjusted expanded position until it is desired to release and fold them together. As

stated, the material is spring wire, and the three can be thus compressed together in the same way as the two, the wires springing enough to permit the same and the key 3% locking all three to- The short coil 40 may be placed in different positions along the longer coils 3B and 3| to provide for suitable adjustment of the extent of the working expansion of the brushes.

Fig. 7 represents in diagrammatic plan the passages needing cleaning in a typical furnace, the gases coming up from the center 50, dividing and passing around the passages 5| and thence out the exit passage 52, the passage 53, which may be termed the entrance passage, being normally closed by a suitable removable cap.

Now to clean the radiator, the cap at the entrance 53 is removed and the front end of the While here the entering end of the too1 must go into one of the side passages 5l, it is fairly easy so to direct it in order to get the tool to take the desired channel, say the one to the right. Once the bulb 21 is on its way, the cleaner can be pushed along thereafter. When the smaller entrance is passed by the folded cleaner, the brushes are expanded by pushing the rod l8 forward and snapping its end 40 into the coupling 39-3l and securing it there. Although passage 5| may not be exactly circular in crosssection, the spring ribs II, the arms l5 and the brushes themselves will conform to the variations and the brushes will suitably engage the entire inside surface to sweep and scrape the same and push the swept material along as the stem of the cleaner is pushed further into the passage.

The brushes, it may be said, are of any suitable type for the work in hand, though commercial fiber bristle brushes with sheet steel or metal r backing, which may be bent or folded around the laterally bent ends of the ribs II and secured thereto, are contemplated. As indicated, howimmediately thereafter on its way into the passage, there is preferably a semi-circular guiding and scraping plate brush 60, Fig. 4, located on the section B of the stem III immediately in the rear of coupling member 3|. This blade, though standing normally transverse to the stem, may

be unable to pass the entrance to the radiator in that position. Accordingly, the stem has a lateral bend GI in back of the blade and the open 'ing for the stem through the blade is sufiiciently I large to permit the blade to be swung around on this bend 6| so as tolie longitudinally of or parallel to the stem, as indicated in dotted lines in -Fig. 3, during its passage into the radiator.- The stays or braces 62, also loosely or hingedly connected with the blade 60 adjacent its ends and detachably hooked at their other ends into the stem It, as by suitable apertures therethrough between the wires or loop eyes provided therefor, and which normally hold the blade transverse to the stem, are disconnected from the stem for the swinging of the blade longitudinally thereof and are again connected before the stem and blade get too far into the passage, so that the blade may then again be positioned transversely of the stem and be held in that position by the stays and the bend 8! during the remainder of its passage through the radiator channel.

This blade lil'l has its lower edge curved substantially like the channel lower surfaces and is preferably provided with a suitable brush therealong. This plate and brush not only guide the stem and center it in the channel, but scrape on any material, such as scale or the like, still adhering to the surface and gather up any material escaping the brushes l4 and I9.

As the cleaner is pushed toward the exit 52 of the radiator channel, the resilient stem is crowding the guide loop 26 over to the outside so that it engages the corner at the outlet 52 and flexes the stem and diverts the bulb 21 into the exit channel 52 which, on being further pushed, guides the'stem and brushes thereinto. The brush may thus be pushed clear through and out the exit, or as soon as the bulb emerges from the exit it may be grasped and the entire cleaner pulled out the exit. Although the brushes are still expanded at this time, the resilience of their mountings and of the cleaner :as a whole enables them to be pulled through without disengagement of the rod l8 and coil 4E The same is true of the last brush 60. It may likewise .be pulled. out and around the bends without being swung longitudinally of the stern. If there is not enough room between the furnace and the adjacent wall of the building or other obstacle to enable the entire device to be so drawn out, the sections may be disconnected as they emerge. It is contemplated to make the expansion section, that is, section A, as short as its mechanism allows. The swept material is also drawn out the exit 52 and may be caught in a pail or receptacle and disposed of.

This cleaning operation may then be repeated for the other half of the radiator channel 5!, so that when done, the channels are swept clean of the soot, ash, etc., and are in their most efficient condition for heat transmission.

While the brush has been described for cleaning passages more or less circular in cross-section, it may be used for other purposes, such for instance as cleaning a chimney having a rectangular or square section, though in such instances some of the ribs may be longer and some shorter than here shown, so that in ex- .panding the brushes assume more the contour an elbow, this section may be advantageously used for cleaning the horizontal pipe. In the case of a furnace of the type depicted, if spots on the surfaces are left untouched at the entrance and exit they maybe read ly bru ed sepa ately y: the second section,

From thetoregoing it is; apparent. that a light and convenient cleaning; tool .for the household has been provided which isv most effective in cleaning radiators or other passages. that is simple in construction and: operation, is of low costgand may be used byanyone, even. the housewife without the usual, accompaniment of dirt and grime,

is .done. in the direction oi the draft. in. the fur.-

name, the dust is carried alongywith. ltyand does not issue into. the room. or; the. face. of the; operator.. The cleaning isdonebya singlepushrstroke of the device through-eachcsideof the-doughnut radiator, as it is sometimes called, and; all passages, including the chimney, may" be. cleaned in. a few minutes from. the; basement or; whereyer the furnace is. located and without; appreciably the radiator from the outside, a cluster-of brushes surrounding the flexible handle,,spring ribscarrying said brushes at their outer; ends and secured in pivotal relation at their inner ends. to the handle, spring stays connecting: said :ribsintermediate their ends with the handle, a. movable rod alongside the handle with whichthe. inner ends of said stays are connected, and manually operated means associated with. the handle for moving said rodvtherea-long either'to: fold; the ribs and brushes compactly toward: and. about. the handle or to expand and hold them inworking position, whereby the: cleaner may be folded intocompact form: when notinxuse or for: insertion through a restricted entrance intothepassage to be cleanedand thereafter; expanded; into a working positions to clean theinside (ifv the-passage as the cleaner is. pushed: therethrough. by thehandle from theaoutside said stemhaving a forward end projecting forwardly beyond the brushes and having guidemeans thereon adapted.

to steer the brushesv into. the proper. channel, the whole constituting. a. resilient flexible brush and stem or handle enabling it. to adaptitself to the form and curves. of the passage and to clean the same by a single push-stroke; therethrough. v

2. A tool for cleaning the 'insid'e surfaces of the tortuous channels orpassages: of hot air heating furnace radiators or the like comprising a central operating stem or handle having lateral. I

resiliency and-flexibility and longitudinal rigidity enablingit to be pushed through the radiator from the outside, a cluster" of brushes resiliently mounted on said stem in foldable relation for compactness andinsertion through a restricted entrance and expansible into Workingposition inside the radiator, said brushes when expanded engaging substantially the entire inside surface of the channel surrounding-themand manually operated; means associatedlwitn the: stem 1 Moreover, "such, cleanin ma be 10 done; while the furnace. is still going, and-since. it

18 for so folding said brushes-and for expanding them after entrance into the radiator," the bottom brush of the cluster being spaced a distance to the rear of the others to catch and sweep torward the material falling from said other brushes and being connected to the said stem. to tend to center the same and the brush as a whole in the channel when the brush is being pushed therethrough.

3. A tool for .cleaning'the inside surfaces of thetortuous channels or passages of hot-air heating furnace radiators or the like comprising a central operating stem or handle having lateral resiliency and. flexibility and longitudinal rigidity enabling it to be pushed through the. radiator from the outside, a cluster of brushes resiliently mounted on said rod infoldable relation .for com.- pactness and insertion through a restricted-entrance and expansiblev into working, position inside the radiator, said brushes when expanded engaging substantially the entire inside surface of the channel surrounding them, and manually operated means associated with the rod for so folding said brushes and for expanding them after entrance into the radiator, and a bracedframefor supporting. each end of the bottom brush of the cluster, said bottom brush being spaced from and positioned in the rear of the other brushes of the cluster. a

4. A toolfor cleaning the tortuous passagesof the radiator of hot-air heating furnaces or the like by a single push-stroke therethrough comprising. a central operating stem or handle and abrush carried thereby, said stem orhandle'having. lateral flexibility and resiliency and longitudinal stiffness to enable it and. the brush carried: thereby to be pushed into, through and out the. tortuous passage, the said brushi including a. cluster of brush segments. resiliently mounted onsaid stem in foldable relation for compactness and insertion through a restricted. entrance,., to the passage and. expansible into working position inside the passage, said brush segments when expanded engaging substantially the entire in side; surrounding surface of the passage, a rod manually operated and associated with. the. handle for so foldingsaid brush segments andrfor expanding: them and holding them inzexpandedposition after. entrance into the passage, andlater- .ally extending guiding loops on the stem: inadvance, of the brush but spaced. from theendro'f the'stem to assist in steering and centralizingthe same about curves in, the passage and to-flext'the end of thestem angularly into a side channelof the" curved passage such asthe exit-of the radiator.

5. .A tool. for cleaningthe tortuous: passages of the radiator. of hot-air heating furnaces. or the like by a. single push-stroke therethrough; comprising a. central operating" stem; or handlezand a .brush carried thereby, said stem or handlez having lateral flexibility and resiliency and longitudinal stiffnessto enable it and the. brush car:- ried: thereby to be pushed into,.through..and out the tortuous. passage, the said brushincludinga cluster of brush segments resilientlyv mounted on said stem.in-foldablerelation for compactness; and insertion through a restricted entrance to-the passage and expansible into: working positionin- 70 side the passage, said brush segments whenexpanded. engaging substantially the entire: inside surrounding surface of the passage, manuallyoperated means associated with thehandlenforiso folding; said brush segments and; for: expanding 75;:andholding; them expanded afterrentranc'e -dnto and in front of the brush, and lateral extensions on said projection spaced from the free end thereof adapted to engage the side wall of the channel adjacent the outlet to flex the end of the stem into said outlet as the brush is pushed through the channel.

6. An inside cleaner for relatively long tortuous channels comprising a relatively long twisted wire stem or handle, a brush adjacent one end of the handle for cleaning the inside surface of the channel through which it is pushed from the outside, said brush being foldable and expansible, and means including a twisted wire rod substantially paralleling the handle man ually movable longitudinally to fold or expand the brush, said handle being in detachable sections, the wires of the sections being bent at the ends into a closely related continuous series of short zig zag transverse portions, said series on each section being transversely curved into arcuate form and the series on adjacent ends of the sections being adapted to be nested together laterally, with the wires thereof engaging each other longitudinally of the sections to form a complete flexible coupling therebetween and detachable laterally to separate the sections, the free end of said wire rod having its wires formed into a similar zigzag arcuate series adapted to nest with those of the adjacent handle coupling to hold the brush in its expanded condition.

WALTER N. HADLEY.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 181,672 Grimes Aug. 29, 1876 427,963 3002 et a1 May 13, 1890 453,316 Messina et al. June 2, 1891 491,404 Burgess Feb. 7, 1893 I 644,118 Wiley Feb. 27, 1900 809,880 Woolldridge et a1. Jan. 9, 1906 872,080 Perry Nov. 26, 1907 1,097,418 Fuchs et a1 May 19, 1914 1,104,030 Willat July 21, 1914 1,328,164 Jokisch Jan. 13, 1920 1,338,9 7 Hall May 4, 1920 1,420,714 Lee June 27, 1922 1,790,003 Densmore Jan. 27, 1931 1,886,086 Damon Nov. 1, 1932 2,078,051 Berndt Apr. 20, 1937 2,2 9,555 Burwell Oct. 29, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,667 Great Britain of 1847 

